Adjustable bier pin



Dec. 21, 194s..

E. L; sHor-IELD ADJUSTABLE BIER PIN Filed June 28, 194s l INVENToR. EARL L. EGHUPIELD Patented Dec. 21, 1948 ,DIUSITBLE BIERI 'PINv Earl? Schofield, Rockford, Ill., assignorlito Superior.` Goach Gomoration,..Lima, Ohio, a corporation of J Ghia' Application JimeZS, 1946, Serial No. 680,132

This invention relates to devices intendedparticularly for use in `funeral cars-*to* serve `as-end stops for caskets positioned therein.

An object of the invention is the provision of av simple and improved* device- 'of thisz character, which is easily and quickly adjustable `toelliciently hold a casket against -endwise playin thel car.

Other objects and advantages of thel invention will be apparent' from the'- followingl detailed description, 'and :froml the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a bier-pin embodying the invention mounte'd'on the filoor'ofahearse with the floor partially shown; 2-i's-a vtop plan view thereof illustrating' diagrammatically various positions of adjustment; Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of vthe s'ocketsleeve receiving the mounting spindle ofthedevice, and Figs. i and 5 are fragmentary cross-sections, respectively, on the lines 4 4 and 5 5 in Fig. l.

Referringl to theI drawings, I designates the 'iloor of a funeral car and 2 a socket plate set `therein and having a' Asocket 3` in which the lower vend. of a bier pins spindlefmaiy :besmountedt For 'the purpose of the present inventionigthe' plates '2 are mounted inthe car floor inposition to :receive bier pins for engagement with the ends of .a casket positioned in the car to hold it against endwise movement therein.I

The bier pin embodying thepresentinvention comprises a spindle 5 having a lower end portion =6 of hexagonal or other form in cross-section Asuitable for insertion into a complemental oor :socket 3 to hold the pin in rigid upright position and prevent rotation thereof. A stop iiange or collar 'I is provided on the spindle at the upper end of the portion 6 to limit the permissible extent of insertion of the latter into a socket. The spindle at its upper end is provided with a head 8 for the purpose hereinafter described.

A casket-engaging member I of cylindrical or roller form is mounted for rotatable adjustment on the spindle and for such purpose is provided lengthwise with a socket II for receiving the upwardly projecting end portion of the spindle. In the present instance, this socket II is formed by a sleeve I2 open at its lower end and closed at its upper end, the latter by a disk or Washer I3. Around this sleeve is molded or otherwise suitably formed the body portion I4 of the member I which may be of rubber or other suitable material.

The axial outward movement of the member I0 on the spindle 5 is limited by a headed stop stud I5 which is extended down through a top 2 'opening' I6 in thebody Illand the washer.` .I3 into the upper end of the socket I I and has its lower endthreaded into or otherwise fixed to the upper end of the spindle. 5. The headed end yoi the stud slidingly fits in the opening I6 andshoulders against the washer to limit the outward movement of the-member t0 relative to the" spindle. This -outward limit of movement of the. member `IIlfis normally maintained by a coiled expansion spring I8 `disposed in the socket II between its closed` endandthe upper endA of .the spindle.

For the purpose of the Ypresent .invention the socket- IIi isdisposed eccentric tothe axis-fot the member Iii to cause such member., when turned f on the `spindle 5,` tohave. a` camming or tighten- .ing action against the end yof an associated casket to take up.l play therebetweeen and serve tohold the 'casket-againstrelative :endwise movements. In Aorder to provide for a stepped rotary adjustment' of the member ILU; as well as a locking' thereof :insany positionof suchy adjustment, the spindleche'ad Slis made of 4any suitable form in crossesectionto provide a predetermined number' of' vcircumierentially spaced projections, the head, in.l the present instance, being of hexagonal form in cross-section to provide six projections, andthe interior of the sleeve I2', commencing a distance.' down from its top, is Aprovided with a Ac'ompl'emental portion I9 which receives the spindlefhead when `the member I0 is up in normal position 'and' locks the member against turning adjustment. Thesoicket I'Iy above thegportion I-9 is provided with a plain cylindrical portion 2'IJ which, when the member I0 is forced down on the spindle, registers with the head 8 and permits turning of the member on the spindle. It is thus apparent that with a hexagonal form of locking head 8, the member I0 may have a four-positioned adjustment, as indicated diagrammatically at'the right of Fig. 2, and that the member, when in normal outward position relative to the spindle,

y is locked in the adjusted position in which set.

In practice, a hearse floor may be provided in each end portion thereof with a series oi sockets 3 in spaced relation lengthwise of the floor so that a bier pin may be mounted in any socket of each set suitable for the length of the particular casket disposed therebetween. As the sockets may not be properly .positioned for a concentrically mounted bier pin to firmly engage a casket and to cooperate with a bier pin at the other end to prevent longitudinal movement or play of the casket in the hearse, the body member Iii of the pin is eccentrically mounted to adapt it, by rotary adjustment, to take up casket play. 1n the present instance, a six-step rotary adjusting movement is provided by the cooperative action of the hexagonal head 8 of the sp-indle 5 in the complemental portion i9 of the socket Il, the engagement of which is normally retained by the action of the spring I8. To change the adjustment, it is only necessary for the operator to push the member I0 down against the tension of the spring to place the circular portion 20 of the sprocket i l in register with the locking head 8 of the spindle and then to turn the member to a desired position of adjustment where play is taken up between it and the casket end. The member lil is then released to permit it to raise underA pressure of the spring and cause the socket portion I9 to again have locking engagement with the spindle head to prevent relative rotation. I

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I -clairn as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A bier pin comprising a cylindrical body member having therein an eccentricsocket parallel with its axis, a spindle having one end mounted in said socket for limited longitudinal movement therein and having its other end projecting beyond the end of the body member and f out-of-round for non-rotatable mounting, a portion of the spindle within the socket being outof-round, a portion of the socket receiving said out-of-round portion for free rotation, and a longitudinally spaced Portion of the socket being :movement and the surfaces of the spindle and socketv engaging to lock the spindle against rotaition in any one of a plurality of positions of rotation when the spindle is at the other limit of its movement.

3. A bier pin in accordance with claim 2 and comprising a spring engaging the cylindrical member and spindle and yieldingly pressing them to effect their relative movement towards their locked position.

4. A bier pin comprising a spindle having a lower end adapted for non-rotatable engagement in a oor socket of a hearse, a cylindrical body member having an eccentric longitudinal socket tting over and vmovable longitudinally of the upper end of the spindle, means limiting the longitudinal movement of the body on the spindle, a spring normally holding the body at the upper limit of its movement, the last said socket and 5. A bier pin comprising a spindle, a cylindr cal member and a spring, the spindle having one nd adapted for non-rotatable engagement with a .socket in the floor of a hearse, with its other end `projecting vertically upward from the floor, the

spindle having an out-of-round head on its upper end, the cylindrical member having an eccentric socket therein parallel with its axis, the socket having walls at one portion adapted to engage said head non-rotatably in a plurality of angularly adjusted positions, the socket having an enlarged portion above said head-engaging portion and into which the head may move,the said enlarged portion being large enough to allow the head to rotate therein, there being a downwardly facing shoulder in the socket above the enlarged portion, and said spring being a coiled compression spring between the head and shoulder and normally holding said member up when the head engages the first said portion of the socket while 'yieldably permitting depression of said member 'if' iiieofv this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 1,812,741 Van Deest June 6, 1933 Schoeld Oct. 11, 1938 

